February Student of the Month: Jacob Cavanaugh

Jacob Cavanaugh's parents teach mathematics and art, and when he was growing up he had strong feelings about those subjects. He hated them.

So he turned his interests elsewhere, tinkering with toys and other items he found around the house; turning one toy into something he could fire at his little sister (in fun) gave him his first exposure to engineering...and he's going on to pursue that as his career.

Jacobs is being recognized as the February Student of the Month; he's in the top 15 in his class, has spent four years in baseball and basketball, is in the National Honor Society, and is President of the school's Engineering Club.

He hopes to study bio-medical engineering at either Purdue, Northwestern or Georgia Tech.

The Rotary Club has provided him with $100 for donation to the charity of his choice; he has selected Feed My Starving Children.

Here is a listing of key officers and others in the history of the Rotary Club of Sycamore, Illinois, including:

-- Club Presidents

-- Secretaries and Treasurers

-- District Governors

-- Recipients of the John W. Ovitz, Jr. Rotarian of the Year Award

CLUB PRESIDENTS

1944-45 Earl Wetzel

1945-46 Dr. Harold Trapp, Sr.

1946-47 Richard Lease

1947-48 John McFarland

1948-49 Noble Henderson

1949-50 Melbourne Maertz

1950-51 Rev. Raymond Eissfeldt

1951-52 Frank Dean

1952-53 John Rosenberg

1953-54 Harry King

1954-55 Howard Etchinson and Frank Christianson

1955-56 Stanley Gullberg

1956-57 Dr. Emery Fenwick (PDG)

1957-58 Richard Anderson

1958-59 Elmer Brooke

1959-60 Daniel Schaefer

1960-61 Frederick Jansen

1961-62 Edward Holcomb

1962-63 Eugene Juday

1963-64 Dr. Arthur Muns

1964-65 George Dutton

1965-66 Hollis Hilstrom (PDG)

1966-67 Dr. John W. Ovitz, Jr.

1967-68 John Bauer, Jr. and Clifford Danielson

1968-69 Howard Campbell

1969-70 William Scott

1970-71 Peter Johnson

1971-72 William Johnson

1972-73 Max Brantner

1973-74 William Beedon

1974-75 Frederick Abben

1975-76 John Henne

1976-77 William Duffey

1977-78 Fr. William Gros

1978-79 Robert Keicher

1979-80 Charles Healy

1980-81 Frederick Rhynders

1981-82 Dr. Paul Stromborg

1982-83 Dr. Curtis Lang

1983-84 David Merrifield

1984-85 David Hillmer

1985-86 James Buck

1986-87 R. Duane Munter

1987-88 William Frankiewicz

1988-89 Robert I. Smith (PDG)1989-90 John Paulsen

1990-91 John Lewis

1991-92 Stephen Alexander

1992-93 Dr. Robert Hammon (PDG)

1993-94 Ervin Pietsch

1994-95 Marvin Wildenradt

1995-96 Keven Dahl

1996-97 Donald Clayberg (PDG)

1997-98 Mary Fasbender

1998-99 Curtiss Behrens

1999-00 Thomas Carls

2000-01 Dr. Frederick Peltz

2001-02 Rodi Schairer

2002-03 Richard Willey, Sr.

2003-04 George Beasley

2004-05 Steven Kuhn (DG)

2005-06 Jim Stoddard

2006-07 Lonnie Brint

2007-08 Tami Armstrong

2008-09 Jeff Jacobson

2009-10 Brian Adams

2010-11 Kathy Countryman

2011-12 Heidi Wright

2012-13 Eric Stice

2013-14 Jeff Keicher

2014-15 Riley Oncken

2015-16 Dr. Russell Bishop

2016-17 Sue Emberson

2017-18 Eric Jones

2018-19 Dr. Raymond Dembinski

2019-20 Patrick Shafer

2020-21 Michael DeVito

2021-22 Paulette Renault

SECRETARIES

Charter Corwin Smith

1946-53 Frank Christianson

1953-54 John Moyers

1954-56 Merwin Wilke

1956-57 John Moyers

1957-66 Frank Christianson

1966-68 Elmer Brooke

1968-74 Lawrence Nelson

1974-03 Carl Eggleston

2003-04 Ronald Spear

2004-05 Mario Fontana

2005-06 Brian Adams

2006-10 Carolyn Swafford

2010- Sally Bruch

TREASURERS

Charter Ervin Haberle

1956-62 Fred Shain

1962-75 Eber Smith

1975-79 Howard Campbell

1979-93 John Bauer, Jr.

1993-96 William Frankiewicz

1996-97 John Bauer, Jr.

1997-06 John Weaver

2006-13 Sue Emberson

2013-14 David McCann

2014- Dr. Michele Jurkovic

DISTRICT GOVERNORS

1958-59 Dr. Emery Fenwick

1968-69 Hollis Hilstrom

1990-91 Robert I. Smith

2002-03 Don Clayberg

2012-13 Dr. Robert Hammon

2017-18 Steve Kuhn

JOHN W. OVITZ, JR. ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

1981 - Bob Keicher

1982 - Fred Rhynders

1983 - George Dooley

1984 - John Paulsen

1985 - John Bauer

1986 - Carl Eggleston

1987 - Steve Alexander

1988 - Bill Scott

1989 - Cliff Danielson

1990 - Ralph Wallis

1991 - Bill Johnson

1992 - Fred Peltz

1993 - Don Clayberg

1994 - John Weaver

1995 - Jim Buck

1996 - Walter Hauswald

1997 - Paul Stromborg

1998 - Paul Michel

1999 - DR. JOHN W. OVITZ, JR.

2000 - Bob Smith

2001 - Jim Stoddard

2002 - Mary Fasbender

2003 - Bob Hammon

2004 - Larry Berke

2005 - Dave Juday

2006 - Brian Adams

2007 - Bob Wildenradt and Bill Nicklas (tie)

2008 - Ben Swedberg

2009 - Heidi Wright

2010 - Paul Barnaby

2011 - Sue Emberson

2012 - Eric Stice

2013 - Sally Bruch

2014 - Michele Jurkovic

2015 - Lavarre Uhlken

2016 - Julie Sgarlata

2017 - Brian Adams

2018 - Paul Stromborg

The award was officially named in honor of Dr. Ovitz in 2013; prior to then, it was known simply as the Rotarian of the Year Award.